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Global cyber attack, what we know so far.

Gabrielle Cox • Jun 28, 2017

What is it?
The global ransomware attack seems to look similar to the WannaCry attack which hit in May, causing mass disruption in over 150 countries, including the UK. Some experts have thought that this cyber attack is down to a variant of a virus known as Petya, however, others have said their initial findings suggest it is a new ransomware which has never been seen before.

Who has been affected?
Organisations in Russia and Ukraine are the most affected so far, with the Chernobyl radiation monitoring system and the Ukrainian government headquarters affected. Hits have also been registered across the world including in the UK, Italy, USA, Poland and France.

In the UK specifically, British advertising company WWP has confirmed that their computer networks in several locations have been targeted.

What does the attack look like?
In a similar way to WannaCry, organisations are being locked out of their networks and a fee is being demanded to decrypt their files. Infected computers are showing a screen demanding $300 in Bitcoins.

Where has it come from and why?
It's origin is not yet known however it is being suggested that the small sum of money requested and the relatively slow spread globally indicates this could potentially be a political attack specifically targeting Ukraine, designed to cause chaos rather than financial gain.

Has the attack been halted?
Although security researchers have discovered a file or 'vaccine' which can stop the attack infected a specific machine, the machine would still be a 'carrier' and can act as a platform to spread the ransomware to other machines on the same network. They have yet been unable to find a 'kill switch' to stop the ransomware in it's tracks.

What should I do?
The BBC have reported that for the vast majority of users "simply running an up-to-date version of Windows will be sufficient to prevent the attack taking hold, were it to infect your PC". If you want to double check your PC is up to date check out yesterdays video by our Technical Director, Adam Lane. He takes you through the quick and easy process, which could be the difference between your computer being attacked or not.


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